Method for separating suspended solids from a waste fluid

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a separation process. An aerated inlet mixture of fluid and solids is fed to a flotation separation vessel and is separated into an upper float layer and a lower clarified layer. The upper float layer is withdrawn from the vessel when the height of the upper float layer exceeds the height of an overflow conduit and forms a concentrated solids effluent. The lower clarified layer is withdrawn from the separation vessel as a clarified fluid effluent. The separation process is performed continuously using a control process that maintains a relatively stable distribution between the lower clarified layer and the upper float layer. The control process is a closed loop process that monitors the instantaneous height of the vessel contents and computes an error function based on the instantaneous height and a set-point height. The error function is used to periodically adjust the outlet flowrate of the clarified fluid effluent. The resulting process has improved stability (e.g., being continuously operable without interruption and/or operable for extended periods between intermittent cleaning processes) and provides a concentrated solids effluent with solids concentrations higher than those previously attainable in similar separation processes.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to a separation method for suspended solids. Themethod can be applied to a gas flotation separator that does not includea mechanical means (e.g., rakes, skimmers) for removing a float layer ofaerated solids. The method employs a control process using theinstantaneous height of fluid in the separator to control the effluentflow rate of clarified liquid from the separator to achieve a steady andcontinuous operation of the separation process.

The separation method can generally be used to treat wastewater. Forexample, the separation method can be used in a solids and nutrientrecovery system for applications that require partitioning of the solidand liquid phases of effluents from food processing residuals and waste,residuals from animal feeding operations, and the effluent from thedigestion of these residuals. Specific applications include theseparation of suspended solids from the effluent of anaerobic digesterswhere the separation may be driven by ambient air (or other gas, forexample biogas) or where the suspended solids are of a fragile ordelicate nature that would otherwise be disturbed by mechanical removalmethods. The recovered suspended solid emulsion may be recycled as afeed substrate to digesters for the generation of biogas for powergeneration.

2. Brief Description of Related Technology

The separation of solids and liquids is prevalent in wastewatertreatment. Generally the separation involves a first mechanical step(e.g., filtering of settleable solids) and then proceeds to a moreaggressive phase separation prior to final treatment. Thus, after sometype of mechanical separation, the wastewater treatment generallyincludes the recovery of suspended solids or emulsions that exist in theparticle range between settable solids and dissolved solids. In adissolved gas floatation device (generically a “DAF” device, even whenthe dissolved gas is other than air), the solid/liquid mixture to beseparated is treated with chemicals, and then fine bubbles in the rangeof 10 to 20 microns are introduced to the mixture. The solid/liquidmixture is then directed to an open separation tank for buoyantseparation. A float layer of aerated solids rises to the top of theseparation tank and is skimmed from the top of the separation tankcontents with a mechanical rake (or other mechanical collection means).The result is a clear or generally clear effluent and a concentratedsolids emulsion.

Separation using principles of buoyancy (e.g., flotation separation) isadvantageous because it achieves high capture rates while producing aclean effluent. Flotation separation can also concentrate or recycle thewaste solids. Concentrated waste streams are desirable to minimize thesize of downstream processing facilities. Maximizing the float solidsconcentration is advantageous since the solids concentration affectsdownstream processing resources and cost. If the solids produced aredilute, the downstream dewatering or disposal costs increase. If theseparator is used in a biological process incorporating solids recycledfrom the separator, the processing cost and reactor size are greater ifdilute solids are produced.

Flotation separation can be used for both clarification and thickening.Flotation separation can remove suspended solids, colloids, and oil andgrease at the same time. Flocculation and coagulation agents can beadded to the flotation stream to consolidate solids and removenutrients, as well as bacteria and other organisms. Flotation separationtakes advantage of the hydrophobic interactions that are lacking inother separation technologies.

The use of mechanical float harvesting methods and/or devices is oftenunsuitable for the separation of delicate or fragile emulsions (e.g.,since the harvesting means can destroy the emulsion) or when it isdesired to maintain anaerobic conditions of the emulsion (e.g., sincemechanical harvesting systems are generally open to the ambientenvironment), for example when the separated solids are to be recycledto an anaerobic digester for further use and processing.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0190859, the contents of which areincorporated herein in their entirety, describes a DAF separator withoutmechanical float harvesting means. The disclosed cylindrical separatorincludes tangential feed inlets to generate a swirling flow and acorresponding centrifugal force that drives a float layer of aeratedsolids radially inward toward a central weir for collection of theconcentrated solid effluent.

OBJECTS

Solid/liquid separation processes are desirably operated in a continuousmode (i.e., as opposed to a batch or mode). However, the foregoingprocesses are difficult to operate continuously because many normalprocess variations (e.g., inlet flow rate; inlet solids type/content,charge, and density; aerating gas feed rate; coagulation andflocculation agent feed rates) cause the resulting conditions within aseparator to be unsteady. The desired distribution between aeratedsolids (e.g., in an upper float layer) and clarified liquid (e.g., in alower clarified layer) present in the separator can vary with time.Failure to accurately control the distribution between the twoseparation phases can undesirably lead to aerated solids exiting throughthe clarified liquid effluent and/or clarified liquid exiting via theaerated solids outlet.

Such problems can be addressed by operating the separator in a batch orsemi-batch mode. For example, an operator can intermittently initiate aclean cycle in which the inlet flow to the separator is increased toflush accumulating aerated float solids through the solids outlet.However, the clean cycle interrupts the efficient continuous operationof the separator, because a substantial portion of the inlet cleaningfluid exits with the flushed solids, thereby undesirably diluting theaerated float solids. Attempts at controlling the separation process(e.g., by attempting to balance inlet and clarified effluent flow ratesin the DAF separator of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0190859) havemet limited success, resulting in an unsteady distribution betweenaerated solids and clarified liquid, thereby still requiring frequentcleaning cycles (e.g., 15-minute cleaning cycles approximately every 1-2hours).

There is a need for solid/liquid separation processes (e.g., DAFseparation processes) that can be reliably operated in a continuous modewith minimal or no process interruptions (e.g., by minimizing oreliminating the need for intermittent cleaning cycles). As a complementto this, there is also a need for control processes that permit accuratecontrol of the distribution between aerated float solids and clarifiedliquid present in the separator. These and other objects may becomeincreasingly apparent by reference to the following description anddrawings.

SUMMARY

The disclosure relates to a separation process. An aerated inlet mixtureof fluid and solids is fed to a flotation separation vessel and isseparated into an upper float layer and a lower clarified layer. Theupper float layer is discharged from the vessel when the height of theupper float layer exceeds the height of an overflow conduit (orbarrier/wall) and forms a concentrated solids effluent. The lowerclarified layer is withdrawn from the separation vessel as a clarifiedfluid effluent. The separation process is performed continuously using acontrol process that maintains a relatively stable distribution betweenthe lower clarified layer and the upper float layer. The control processis a closed loop process that monitors the instantaneous height of thevessel contents and computes an error function based on theinstantaneous height and a set-point height. The error function is usedto periodically adjust the outlet flowrate of the clarified fluideffluent. The resulting process has improved stability (e.g., beingcontinuously operable without interruption and/or operable for extendedperiods between intermittent cleaning processes) and provides aconcentrated solids effluent with solids concentrations higher thanthose previously attainable in similar separation processes.

In an embodiment, a separation process (e.g., to separate solids from awaste stream) comprises several steps, for example (a) providing aseparation vessel comprising (i) a fluid inlet, (ii) a solids outletcomprising an overflow conduit having a height h_(w) measured from abase portion of the separation vessel, and (iii) a fluid outlet at afirst position between the base portion and h_(w); (b) feeding anaerated inlet mixture to the separation vessel via the fluid inlet at aflowrate Q_(i), the aerated inlet mixture comprising (i) a fluid, (ii) asolid contaminant, and (iii) an aerating gas; (c) separating the inletmixture in the separation vessel into (i) an upper float layercomprising aerated solids and being located at a second position, and(ii) a lower clarified layer comprising a clarified fluid and beinglocated at a third position, the second position being relativelyfurther away from the base portion of the separation vessel than thethird position; (d) withdrawing the upper float layer from theseparation vessel via the overflow conduit; and (e) withdrawing thelower clarified layer from the separation vessel via the fluid outlet ata selected flowrate Q_(o). Parts (a)-(e) of the separation process areperformed as a continuous separation process with a control processcomprising: (i) selecting an operating height h_(o) that is larger thanh_(w); (ii) measuring an instantaneous height h(t) of the separationvessel contents (e.g., with a pressure transducer mounted in theseparation vessel); (iii) adjusting the flowrate Q_(o) based on a firsterror function h(t)-h_(o) to minimize the first error function; and (iv)repeating (i)-(iii) of the control process. A PID controller can be usedto adjust the flowrate Q_(o), for example using a proportional valve influid communication with the fluid outlet. The operating height can besuitably selected so that a height ratio (h_(o)−h_(w))/h_(w) is about0.05 or less (for example about 0.02, or less, about 0.01 or less, about0.005 or less, about 0.001 to about 0.006, or about 0.002 to about 0.005in various alternative embodiments).

The separation vessel can generally have a cylindrical (preferred) orrectangular geometry. In an embodiment of a generally cylindricalvessel, (i) the separation vessel comprises a cylindrical outer wallgenerally defining a central axis; (ii) the fluid inlet comprises one ormore tangential inlets distributed around the cylindrical outer wall,thereby generating a swirling flow when feeding the aerated inletmixture to the separation vessel; and (iii) the overflow conduitcomprises a cylindrical weir generally aligned with the central axis.The separation vessel can be closed to the external environment, therebypreventing the loss of nitrogen compounds, the release noxious odors, aswell as the contamination of the solids overflow (e.g., with air oroxygen).

During operation, the aerating gas can comprise one or more of air,nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, and biogas. In someembodiments, however, the aerating gas is substantially free of oxygen.The aerating gas and the solids can be electrostatically coupled to eachother, for example using an ionized aerating gas and/or one or more ofcoagulating and/or flocculating agents in the inlet mixture. Thecoagulating agent can be selected from the group consisting of alum,aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminium sulfate, calcium oxide, calciumhydroxide, iron(III) chloride, iron(II) sulfate, sodium aluminate,sodium silicate, and combinations thereof. The flocculating agent can beselected from the group consisting of polyacrylamide, carbonic oranionic forms thereof, polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride, andcombinations thereof. Alternatively or additionally, the coagulatingagent can comprise one or more metal salt cations selected from thegroup consisting of aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, and magnesium. Invarious embodiments, the aerated inlet mixture comprises about 1 wt. %to about 5 wt. % total solids, the lower clarified layer withdrawn viathe fluid outlet comprises about 1 wt. % or less total solids, and/orthe upper float layer withdrawn via the overflow conduit comprises atleast about 5 wt. % total solids.

The continuous separation process preferably is performed without acleaning cycle or other intermittent process. In an embodiment, however,the separation process can comprise performing successive cycles of thecontrol process followed by a cleaning process, where the cleaningprocess comprises: (i) selecting a cleaning height h_(c) that is largerthan h_(o); (ii) measuring an instantaneous height h(t) of theseparation vessel contents; (iii) adjusting the flowrate Q_(o) based ona second error function h(t)-h_(c) to minimize the second errorfunction; and (iv) repeating (i)-(iii) of the cleaning process for aselected cleaning time before resuming the control process. Theinstantaneous height h(t) can be measured and the flowrate Q_(o) can beadjusted in the same manner as above. The cleaning height can beselected so that a height ratio (h_(c)−h_(w))/h_(w) is about 0.05 ormore.

In another embodiment, a separation process comprises several steps, forexample (a) providing a separation vessel comprising (i) a cylindricalouter wall generally defining a central axis, (ii) a fluid inletcomprising one or more tangential inlets distributed around thecylindrical outer wall and capable of generating a swirling flow whenfeeding an inlet mixture to the separation vessel, (iii) a solids outletcomprising a cylindrical weir generally aligned with the central axisand having a height h_(w) measured from a base portion of the separationvessel, and (iv) a fluid outlet at a first position between the baseportion and h_(w); (b) feeding an aerated inlet mixture to theseparation vessel via the fluid inlet at a flowrate Q_(i), the aeratedinlet mixture comprising (i) a fluid, (ii) a solid contaminant, and(iii) an aerating biogas; (c) separating the inlet mixture in theseparation vessel into (i) an upper float layer comprising aeratedsolids and being located at a second position, and (ii) a lowerclarified layer comprising a clarified fluid and being located at athird position, the second position being relatively further away fromthe base portion of the separation vessel than the third position; (d)withdrawing the upper float layer from the separation vessel via thecylindrical weir; and (e) withdrawing the lower clarified layer from theseparation vessel via the fluid outlet at a selected flowrate Q_(o).Parts (a)-(e) of the separation process are performed as a continuousseparation process with a control process comprising: (i) selecting anoperating height h_(o) that is larger than h_(w); (ii) measuring aninstantaneous height h(t) of the separation vessel contents with apressure transducer mounted within the separation vessel; (iii)adjusting the flowrate Q_(o) with a proportional valve in fluidcommunication with the fluid outlet based on a first error functionh(t)-h_(o) to minimize the first error function; and (iv) repeating(i)-(iii) of the control process.

Any of the foregoing process embodiments can be integrated into aseparation system. The separation system generally includes: (a)providing a separation vessel comprising (i) a fluid inlet, (ii) asolids outlet comprising an overflow conduit having a height h_(w)measured from a base portion of the separation vessel, (iii) a fluidoutlet at a first position between the base portion and h_(w), and (iv)a means for measuring an instantaneous height h(t) of the separationvessel contents (e.g., pressure transducer), the measurement means beingmounted on the separation vessel at a second position between the baseportion and h_(w); (b) a means for adjusting a flowrate Q_(o) of fluidout of the separation vessel (e.g., proportional valve) through thefluid outlet, the adjusting means being in fluid communication with thefluid outlet; and, (c) an electronic controller (e.g., P, PI, PD, PID)comprising (i) an input in electrical communication with the measuringmeans and (ii) an output in electrical communication with the adjustingmeans. The separation vessel can further include any of the specificgeometric features described above.

All patents, patent applications, government publications, governmentregulations, and literature references cited in this specification arehereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In case ofconflict, the present description, including definitions, will control.

Additional features of the disclosure may become apparent to thoseskilled in the art from a review of the following detailed description,taken in conjunction with the drawings, examples, and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the disclosure, reference should bemade to the following detailed description and accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a separation vessel suitablefor use in the disclosed process.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a tangential inlet for the separationvessel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top cross-sectional view of the separation vessel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates hypothetical solids axial distributions at differenttimes in the separation vessel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustrating a separation system suitable forperforming the disclosed process.

FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating a manure managementprocess incorporating the disclosed separation process and system.

While the disclosed compositions and methods are susceptible ofembodiments in various forms, specific embodiments of the disclosure areillustrated in the drawings (and will hereafter be described) with theunderstanding that the disclosure is intended to be illustrative, and isnot intended to limit the claims to the specific embodiments describedand illustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a separation process, for exampleusing a separation vessel 100 as illustrated FIG. 1. An aerated inletmixture 205 is fed to the separation vessel 100 via a fluid inlet 200 atan inlet volumetric flowrate Q_(i). The aerated inlet mixture 205 isseparated into an upper float layer 140 and a lower clarified layer 130as a result of buoyant separation forces and residence time within theseparation vessel 100. A portion of the upper float layer 140 iswithdrawn/discharged from the separation vessel 100 when the height ofthe upper float layer 140 exceeds the height of an overflow conduit 300,thereby resulting in a concentrated solids effluent 310 that exits fromthe separation vessel 100 via a weir outlet 320. A portion of the lowerclarified layer 130 is withdrawn from the separation vessel 100 via afluid outlet 400 as a clarified fluid effluent 410 at an outletvolumetric flowrate Q_(o).

The separation process is performed as a continuous separation processusing a control process that maintains a relatively stable distributionbetween the lower clarified layer 130 and the upper float layer 140 inthe separation vessel 100. The control process is a closed loop processthat monitors the instantaneous height h(t) of the separation vessel 100contents (e.g., the combined height of the lower clarified layer 130 andthe upper float layer 140). An error function based on the instantaneousheight and a set-point height is used to periodically adjust the outletvolumetric flowrate Q_(o). The resulting process has improved stability,for example being continuously operable without interruption and/oroperable for extended periods between intermittent cleaning processes.

Separation Vessel

In an embodiment, the separation vessel 100 has a generally cylindricalinterior volume defined by a cylindrical outer wall 112circumferentially attached a base portion 110. As illustrated, the baseportion 110 can have a gradual downward slope (e.g., about 15° to about30°, relative to a horizontal plane) to facilitate solids settling andcollection for later purging through a solids purge outlet 420 that isgenerally closed during operation but can be intermittently opened toremove accumulated solids (e.g., draining by gravity). While the fluidoutlet 400 can be variably positioned within the separation vessel 100(e.g., at a point below the top of the overflow conduit 300, possiblyincluding more than one outlet orifice), the fluid outlet 400 ispreferably a single outlet (e.g., a cylindrical outlet pipe for theclarified fluid effluent 410) located at the base of the separationvessel 100. Preferably, the separation vessel 100 is an integral tankthat is closed to the external environment, for example with a topportion 114 attached to the cylindrical outer wall 112. The top portion114 can have an angled, frustoconical shape similar to that of the baseportion 110.

The overflow conduit 300 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a cylindrical weirthat is generally aligned with a central axis A defined by thecylindrical outer wall 112 (i.e., the cylindrical weir 300 and thecylindrical outer wall 112 are generally co-axial, and the outer wall112 generally has a height that is greater than that of the cylindricalweir 300). The cylindrical weir 300 is a wall/barrier that provides acollection point for the aerated solids originally present in the vessel100 feed. The cylindrical weir 300 is generally tubular in shape and hasan opening at its top end located within the vessel 100 interior. Theopening within the cylindrical weir 300 permits the aerated solids thatcontact the weir 300 to pass into the opening and exit the vessel 100.In an embodiment, the recovered aerated solids can be further processedto generate biogas (e.g., as an energy source) or can be used as afertilizer.

As illustrated, the fluid inlet 200 can include a plurality oftangential inlets 210 (e.g., 2 to 8 inlets) distributed around thecylindrical outer wall 112 of the separation vessel 100. The tangentialinlets 210 are preferably located at a position that is axially betweenthe top of the overflow conduit 300 and the fluid outlet 400. Theaerated inlet mixture 205 is tangentially fed into the separation vessel100 through the tangential inlets 210. The inlet volumetric flowrateQ_(i) of the aerated inlet mixture 205 is preferably selected tomaintain a substantially constant flow at the outer circumference of theseparation vessel 100 and to generate a rotating, swirling flow insidethe vessel 100 (e.g., having a substantial tangential velocity componentu_(θ)). Once the aerated inlet mixture 205 is released into the vessel100, buoyant separation occurs with aerated solids rising to form theupper float layer 140. The upper float layer 140, as a result of theradial centrifugal forces generated by the tangential inlets 210 and thebuoyant lift created by the aerating gas bubbles, flows axially upward(i.e., relative to gravity) and radially inward (i.e., relative to thecentral axis A) to the center of the vessel 100 where the float passesover the top of the cylindrical weir 300. The concentrated solidseffluent 310 is subsequently removed from the tank through the weiroutlet 320 located at the bottom, external end of the cylindrical weir300. The lower clarified layer 130 remaining in the vessel 100 isrecovered through the fluid outlet 400 as the clarified fluid effluent410.

The tangential inlets 210 through which the aerated inlet mixture 205 isintroduced into the separation vessel 100 are preferably oriented suchthat the feed enters the vessel at an upward angle (i.e., tangentiallyand upwardly relative to gravity). The angled design of the tangentialinlets 210 imparts a swirling, rotational flow to the aerated inletmixture 205 upon is entry into the vessel 100. As illustrated in FIG. 2,the portion of the tangential inlets 210 located within the vessel isangled upwardly (e.g., about 30° to about 60°, or about 45°) relative toa horizontal plane perpendicular to the central axis A. The tangentialinlets 210 are preferably attached to the cylindrical outer wall 112 ofthe vessel 100 via an adjustable flange 212 that permits the entry anglefor the tangential inlets 210 to be easily selected and adjusted basedon a given application.

The specific dimensions of the separation vessel are not particularlylimited, and the vessel can be suitably scaled to meet the demands of aparticular application (e.g., volumetric flow rate throughput, inletvelocities, separation residence time). For the separation vessel 100illustrated in FIG. 1, an aspect ratio (e.g., total vessel 100 heightincluding the top, cylindrical, and bottom portion relative to thevessel 100 diameter) is preferably about 1 or less, for example rangingfrom about 0.1 to about 2, about 0.2 to about 1, or about 0.4 to about0.8. Alternatively, the aspect ratio expressed as the height/diameterratio of just the cylindrical portion defined by the cylindrical wall112 is preferably about 0.5 or less, for example ranging from about 0.05to about 1, about 0.1 to about 0.5, or about 0.2 to about 0.4. The lowaspect ratio provides a relatively longer radial path for the inwardmigration toward the cylindrical weir 300 of aerated solids that enterthe vessel 100 at the outer cylindrical wall 112, thereby increasing theeffective residence time for buoyant separation of the solids. In asuitable embodiment, the vessel 100 has a steel construction with anepoxy coating and has an outer diameter of about 13 ft (400 cm) and atotal height of about 10 ft (305 cm), and the various inlet/outlet pipesand weirs can be suitably sized to accommodate application specific flowrates (e.g., a tangential inlet diameter of about 2 in (5.1 cm), anoverflow weir diameter of about 8 in (20.3 cm), and a clarified fluideffluent diameter of about 4 in (10.2 cm). Depending on the solidscontent of the influent, inlet flow rates of about 50 gpm to about 200gpm are common for the 13-ft separation vessel, and the inlet flow iscommonly partitioned with about 50% to about 99% (or about 50% to about90%) of the flow removed as the clarified fluid effluent and with about1% to about 50% (or about 10% to about 50%) of the flow removed as theconcentrated solids effluent.

The separation vessel 100 illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1 anddescribed above is generally cylindrical in design to incorporate bothbuoyant and centrifugal separation forces. However, the separationprocess with its accompanying control process can be performed in other,non-cylindrical separation vessels, for example a separation vesselhaving a generally rectangular geometry (e.g., as illustrated anddescribed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0195398, incorporatedherein by reference). In such cases, an aerated inlet mixture generallyenters the separation vessel at one end of the vessel and flowshorizontally toward an overflow conduit (e.g., wall/barrier defining atrough that provides an outlet for the concentrated solids effluent) atan opposing end of the vessel. The residence time in the vessel allowsbuoyant separation of aerated solids in the inlet feed (e.g., into theupper float layer and the lower clarified layer as above), and theaerated solids can be collected (e.g., using a mechanical collector suchas a rake or scraper) via the overflow conduit. Similarly, the lowerclarified layer is withdrawn from the separation vessel as the lowerclarified effluent.

Inlet Mixture

The aerated inlet mixture includes a fluid, solids (e.g., settleable,suspended, dissolved) and/or nutrient contaminants in the fluid, and anaerating gas. In some embodiments, an upstream separator (e.g., a screwpress) can be used to remove larger solids from the aerated inletmixture prior to its introduction into the separation vessel, in whichcase the solids are primarily suspended and dissolved solids (i.e., withlittle or no settleable solids). The fluid that forms the continuous,suspending medium for the solid contaminant can generally include anyliquid or mixture of liquids, but generally includes water (e.g.,wastewater).

The type of solid contaminant is not particularly limited, and generallyincludes small solid particles (e.g., ranging in size between settleablesolids, suspended solids, and dissolved solids) which are in the inletfluid (e.g., suspended or transported as a colloid or due to the motionof the fluid). The disclosed process is effective in separating andremoving solid contaminants that are not ordinarily removable from thefluid medium by conventional filtration (e.g., non-filterable residue).In an embodiment, the disclosed process and apparatus are operated toseparate solids contaminants at a cut size of about 0.1 μm to about 1 μm(e.g., about 0.4 μm to about 0.5 μm, or about 0.45 μm (i.e., a typicalsize generally accepted as distinguishing suspended and dissolvedsolids)). Solids having a characteristic size (e.g., diameter oreffective diameter) above the cut size generally are recovered in theconcentrated solids effluent, and solids having a characteristic size(e.g., diameter or effective diameter) below the cut size generally arerecovered in the clarified fluid effluent (although smaller solids canbe removed/recovered with the addition of flocculants). Examples ofsolids include biomass particles (e.g., sludge effluent from ananaerobic digester, manure, other animal/human waste) and inorganicparticles (e.g., sand, clay, silt). The solids can include any type ofsolid suspension or residual from the processing or treatment of food,or residual from the confined feeding operation of animals (e.g.,bovine, avian and swine). The solids also can be from the anaerobicdigestion of these same residuals. The solid content of the inletmixture can vary depending on the particular waste stream to beseparated; however, the inlet mixture generally includes about 1 wt. %to about 5 wt. % total solids, for example at least about 2 wt. % or 3wt. % and/or up to about 3.5 wt. %, 4 wt. %, or 5 wt. % total solids.

The aerating gas facilitates the gas flotation separation of the solidcontaminant by attaching to the solid particles (e.g., non-dissolvedsolids such as suspended solids and/or settleable solids), therebyforming an aggregate mass of solids and aerated gas bubbles. Thesolid-bubble aggregate has an aggregate density less than that of theinlet mixture's fluid medium. The density difference between theaggregate mass and the fluid medium provides a buoyant force to drivethe separation process. The aerating gas is generally added to the inletfluid as a dissolved gas at an elevated pressure (i.e., relative to theoperating pressure of the separation vessel) at a point upstream of thefluid inlet through any of the various methods known in the art. Theaerating gas is suitably added to the inlet fluid at a rate of about 0.2scfm to about 2 scfm. Preferably, the aerating gas is added to a recyclestream (e.g., a recycled portion of the clarified fluid effluent) andthen mixed with a raw fluid influent to form the inlet fluid fed to theseparation vessel. Upon a reduction in pressure (e.g., traversing anorifice plate, using an upstream apparatus such as dissolution tubes,upon entering the separation vessel), the aerated gas leaves solutionand forms the aerated gas micro-bubbles. The type of aerating gas is notparticularly limited (i.e., it need not include air), for exampleincluding one or more of air, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane,and biogas. Biogas includes the gaseous product of the anaerobicdigestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials (e.g., manure,sewage, municipal waste, other biomass) and has methane and carbondioxide as its primary components. For example, biogas generallyincludes methane (e.g., about 50-75% (volume or molar basis)), carbondioxide (e.g., about 25-50%), nitrogen (e.g., up to about 10%), hydrogen(e.g., up to about 1%), hydrogen sulfide (e.g., up to about 3%), andoxygen (e.g., up to about 2%). Biogas is particularly suitable as anaerating gas when the separation vessel is closed to the externalenvironment (i.e., an air environment) and the solids recovered from theoverflow weir are recycled to an anaerobic digester, because theanaerobic nature of the recycled material is maintained. In anembodiment, the aerating gas is free or substantially free of oxygen(e.g., less than about 3%, 2%, or 1% oxygen), meaning that the aeratedsolids recovered from the separation vessel can be additionallyprocessed downstream in an anaerobic digester. In another embodiment,the aerating gas can be ionized (e.g., prior to introduction into theinlet mixture), thereby providing an electrostatic force to promotesolid-gas bubble aggregation (e.g., in addition to or in place of anyelectrostatic forces provided by flocculating agents).

The inlet mixture can include one or more coagulating and/orflocculating agents to promote the aggregation of the solids and theaerated gas bubbles. The treatment of the inlet mixture with thecoagulating and/or flocculating agents can place an electrical charge onthe solids present in the inlet mixture (e.g., non-dissolved solids suchas suspended solids and/or settleable solids), and the electrical chargeprovides an attractive force between the solids themselves as well asthe aerated gas micro-bubbles. Suitable coagulant metal salt cationsinclude aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, and/or magnesium. Specificcoagulating agents can include one or more of alum, aluminumchlorohydrate, aluminium sulfate, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide,iron(III) chloride, iron(II) sulfate, sodium aluminate, and sodiumsilicate. Suitable flocculating agents include those generally known inthe art, for example including flocculating polymers (e.g., cationic(preferred) or anionic polyacrylamides, polydiallyldimethylammoniumchloride (polyDADMAC)). When present, the inlet mixture suitably caninclude about 1 ppm to about 2,000 ppm coagulant and/or about 1 ppm toabout 500 ppm flocculant.

The aerated inlet mixture is preferably formed upstream of theseparation vessel. For example, the fluid to be treated (i.e., fluidwith a solid contaminant) is first aerated (e.g., in the form of adissolved gas or gas micro-bubbles, either of which can be ionized insome embodiments), thus forming the aerated inlet mixture. The aeratedinlet mixture can then be mixed with coagulant and/or flocculant and feddirectly to the separation vessel via the fluid inlet, or can beintermediately fed to a conventional flocculation apparatus (e.g.,flocculation tubes; not shown). The flocculation apparatus providesresidence time for any flocculating agents and/or ionized gas bubbles toaggregate/flocculate the suspended solids into an emulsion prior toentering the separation vessel.

Process Operation and Control

Within the separation vessel, the aerated inlet mixture generallyseparates into a light phase (i.e., low-density solid emulsion) and aheavy phase (i.e., high-density liquid effluent). The aerated gasbubbles draw the solids as a low-density solid emulsion float to the topof the vessel where it comes in contact with the overflowconduit/cylindrical weir. With the generally cylindrical vessel andpositioning of the tangential inlets, the resulting swirling flow causesthe float to migrate toward the center of the vessel, where it exits thevessel via overflow conduit/cylindrical weir. The high-density liquideffluent (clarified fluid) is withdrawn from the vessel bottom. Whenusing a closed separation vessel, the recovered low-density solidemulsion is maintained in the state it was generated (e.g., aerobic,anaerobic, or anoxic) when the aerating gas is suitably selected (e.g.,air for aerobic processes, biogas for anaerobic processes). When theseparation vessel incorporates swirling flow and a central cylindricalweir, solids recovery mechanisms (e.g., rakes, scrapers) can be omitted,thereby reducing the likelihood of disrupting the delicate solidemulsion (in which case the recovery of solids is reduced) and reducingthe likelihood of explosion upon failure of the recovery mechanisms in aclosed recovery system (e.g., sparking machines can ignite amethane-rich biogas atmosphere).

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the aerated inlet mixture 205, once fed intothe separation vessel 100, generally separates into the upper floatlayer 140 and the lower clarified layer 130 as a result of buoyantseparation forces and residence time within the separation vessel 100.While FIG. 1 illustrates a generally cylindrical vessel 100, a similarstratification of upper and lower layers forms in a vessel having agenerally rectangular geometry. The upper float layer 140 generallyincludes concentrated aerated solids that form a low-density solidemulsion (i.e., less dense than the fluid of the aerated inlet mixture,generally water) and rise to an upper portion of the separation vessel100 as a result of buoyant forces, where “upper” denotes a positionrelative to the base portion 110 and the buoyant forces act in adirection opposing gravity. The lower clarified layer 130 generallyincludes clarified fluid that forms the high-density liquid effluent(i.e., potentially containing some settleable solids or othernon-separate dissolved or suspended solids, for example including minutequantities of sand, clay, and/or silt, but having a substantiallyreduced amount of solids) and collects in a lower portion of theseparation vessel 100, where “lower” denotes a position relative to thebase portion 110 and indicates that the lower clarified layer 130 isgenerally between the base portion 110 and the upper float layer 140.

FIG. 1 illustrates an interface 150 between the upper float layer 140and the lower clarified layer 130 for the sake of clarity. As will beunderstood, however, the upper float layer 140 and the lower clarifiedlayer 130 need not be so clearly stratified in practice. Often, theaerated solids are most concentrated at a top portion 142 of the upperfloat layer 140, and the solids concentration (e.g., as measured in alayer having an incremental axial thickness Δh) decreases gradually ataxial positions that are increasingly closer to the base portion 110.Thus, there is a gradual transition between the upper float layer 140and the lower clarified layer 130, and the fluid that is nearest to thebase portion 110 in the lower clarified layer 130 generally has thelowest solids concentration. As illustrated, the interface 150 islocated below the inlets 210 (i.e., at an axial position closer to thebase portion 110 of the separation vessel 100). However, the interface150 can be located above the inlets 210, at substantially the same axiallevel as the inlets 210, for example depending on specific operatingparameters of the separation vessel 100 (e.g., solids content of thefeed, inlet flow rates). Moreover, the axial position of the interface150 can vary during operation of the separation vessel 100.

As a result of the separation, the solids concentration of the lowerclarified layer 130 is substantially lower than that of the inletmixture and the solids concentration of the upper float layer 140 issubstantially higher than that of the inlet mixture. For example, theportion of the lower clarified layer 130 that is withdrawn via the fluidoutlet 400 as the clarified effluent 410 can have about 1 wt. % or lesstotal solids, preferably about 0.04 wt. % to about 1 wt. %, about 0.5wt. % to about 1 wt. %, or about 0.5 wt. % to about 0.75 wt. % totalsolids. Similarly, the portion of the upper float layer 140 that isharvested via the cylindrical weir 300 as the concentrated solidseffluent 310 can have at least about 5 wt. % (or at least about 7 wt. %or about 8 wt. %) total solids, for example about 6 wt. % to about 11wt. % total solids, or about 6, 7, or 8 wt. % to about 10, 11, or 12 wt.% total solids. The degree of separation alternatively can be expressedin terms of relative solids concentrations, for example (a) the ratio ofthe clarified effluent 410 concentration to the aerated inlet mixture205 concentration (e.g., preferably less than about 0.4, or ranging fromabout 0.1 to about 0.3) and/or (b) the ratio of the concentrated solidseffluent 310 concentration to the aerated inlet mixture 205concentration (e.g., preferably at least about 1.5, 2, or 2.5, orranging from about 1.5, 2, or 2.5 to about 3, 4, or 5). Insofar as anydissolved solids present in the inlet mixture are not generallyrecoverable using the gravimetric principles of the separation vessel,the degree of separation additionally can be expressed in terms of thenon-dissolved solids (e.g., suspended and/or settleable) concentrationof the concentrated solids effluent 310, which can be about 1 wt. % orless non-dissolved solids, for example about 0.01 wt. % to about 1 wt.%, about 0.02 wt. % to about 0.5 wt. %, or about 0.05 wt. % to about 0.2wt. % non-dissolved solids.

The control process applied to the general separation process maintainsa relatively stable distribution between the lower clarified layer 130and the upper float layer 140 in the separation vessel 100. In theidealized schematic of FIG. 1, the result is that the axial position ofthe interface 150 between the lower clarified layer 130 and the upperfloat layer 140 is relatively constant. FIG. 4 illustrates hypotheticalsolids distributions (i.e., solids concentration C(z, t) as a functionof axial position in the vessel 100) at times t₁, t₂, and t₃ for thecase where there is a gradual transition between the upper float layer140 and the lower clarified layer 130. The distribution C(z, t_(t))represents an initial, desirable distribution in the vessel 100. If thedistribution between the lower clarified layer 130 and the upper floatlayer 140 is not relatively stable, then the distribution could changeto that illustrated by C(z, t₂) at a later time t₂>t_(t). Such a trendrepresents the gradual thinning of the upper float layer 140 and canresult in an undesirable reduction in the concentration of theconcentrated solids effluent 310 or even contamination of theconcentrated solids effluent 310 with clarified fluid. Similarly, anunstable distribution could change to that illustrated by C(z, t₃) at alater time t₃>t₁. This opposite trend represents the gradual thickeningof the upper float layer 140 and can result in contamination of theclarified effluent 410 with solids.

Previous attempts at controlling similar separation processes have beenunable to maintain stable distribution between the lower clarified layer130 and the upper float layer 140. For example, attempts to balance theinlet flowrate Q_(i) and the outlet flowrate Q_(o) (e.g., selectingQ_(o)/Q_(i) with appropriate valve settings to be about 0.5 to accountfor some fraction of the aerated inlet mixture 205 that exits asconcentrated solids effluent 310) have not been as efficient, resultingin unstable distributions that drift away from a desired equilibriumpoint. Such unstable distributions require intermittent interruptions toreset the distribution (e.g., using a cleaning process as describedbelow), thereby disrupting the continuous nature of the process and/orthe solids concentrations of the vessel outlets.

The control process applied to the disclosed separation process is aclosed loop process that monitors the instantaneous height h(t) of theseparation vessel 100 contents (e.g., the combined height of the lowerclarified layer 130 and the upper float layer 140). With reference toFIG. 1, the overflow conduit/cylindrical weir 300 has a height h_(w)measured from the base portion 110 of the separation vessel 100. In thecontrol process, an operating height h_(o) is selected that is largerthan h_(w). The operating height h_(o) represents the desired, set-pointheight of the top 142 of the vessel 100 contents. The height h_(o) islarger than h_(w) so that the upper float layer 140 will be high enoughduring operation to discharge the concentrated solids effluent 310through the cylindrical weir 300. The operating height is suitablyselected so that a height ratio (h_(o)−h_(w))/h_(w) is about 5% or less,for example about 2%, or less, about 1% or less, about 0.5% or less,about 0.1% to about 0.6%, or about 0.2% to about 0.5%. For example, in aseparation vessel 100 having a diameter of about 13 ft (400 cm), asuitable weir 300 height could be about 7 ft (213 cm), and a suitableheight difference h_(o)−h_(w) could be about 0.1 in to about 1.5 in(0.25 cm to 3.8 cm). During the control process, the instantaneousheight h(t) of the separation vessel 100 contents is continuouslymonitored, for example with a pressure transducer 120 mounted in thebase portion 110 of the vessel 100 (e.g., by correlating a measuredpressure with a columnar height of fluid about the transducer) and/or acamera 124 mounted in the top portion 114 of the vessel 100 (e.g., tomonitor the steady flow of harvested material over the weir 300). Themethod of measuring the height h(t) is not particularly limited and caninclude any of a variety of measuring/monitoring devices (e.g.,ultrasonic, pressure switch, limit switch, floating sensor, camera)and/or can include using more than one measuring device (e.g., aplurality of pressure transducers distributed throughout the vessel 100and used to compute an average height h(t)). The various heightsutilized in the control process (e.g., h(t), h_(w), h_(o)) are measuredaxially from a consistent axial reference position (e.g., a horizontalreference plane 122 that is coincident with the pressure transducer 120illustrated in FIG. 1).

During the control process, a first error function h(t)-h₀ is computedas individual data points h(t) are measured. The first error functionh(t)-h₀ is used to adjust the outlet flowrate Q_(o) according to generalprinciples of process control so that the first error function isminimized. The outlet flowrate Q_(o) can be adjusted by any suitablemethod, for example using a proportional valve (not shown) in fluidcommunication with the fluid outlet 400, where the proportional valvecan have any of a number of incremental settings between 0% open (i.e.,closed) and 100% open. Thus, in an embodiment, the first error functionh(t)-h₀ is used to compute and select an appropriate proportional valvesetting. For example when using a simple proportional (P) controller anda proportional valve, a positive first error function h(t)-h₀>0indicates that the inlet mixture is accumulating in the vessel 100, andthe proportional valve should be incrementally opened to increase theoutlet flowrate Q_(o); conversely, a negative first error functionh(t)-h₀<0 indicates that h(t) may drop to a point below h_(w) that wouldshut off the concentrated solids effluent 310, and the proportionalvalve should be incrementally closed to decrease the outlet flowrateQ_(o). In an embodiment, the data points h(t) are scanned every 20 msand measured in increments of 0.1 in (0.25 cm), and the first errorfunction h(t)-h₀ is used without delay to adjust the outlet flowrateQ_(o) according to the controlled output. However, other scanningfrequencies and/or measurement increments can be used, for example inseparation vessels with different geometries and/or characteristic flowrates.

While the foregoing describes the operation of a proportional (P)controller, any of a variety of other controllers also can be used, forexample: proportional-integral (PI), proportional-derivative (PD), andproportional-integral-derivative (PID). The controller is preferably aPID controller, for example a programmable PID controller that iselectronically interfaced with the measurement device for determiningh(t) (e.g., the pressure transducer) and the device for adjusting theoutlet flowrate Q_(o) (e.g., the proportional valve). The controllergain constants (i.e., K_(p), K_(I), and/or K_(D) as appropriate) can beset using any or a variety of known tuning methods (e.g., manual tuning,software tuning using pre-programmed algorithms)

The control process using the first error function h(t)-h₀ has improvedstability. Preferably, the resulting separation process is continuouslyoperable without interruption (e.g., without a cleaning process or otherintermittent process that resets the vessel conditions, for example abatch filling or batch draining operation). Alternatively, theseparation process is operable for extended periods between intermittentresetting processes like the cleaning or batch drain/fill processes.Minimizing such intermittent processes increases both the net processthroughput and the net solids concentration of the concentrated solidseffluent 310 averaged over time (i.e., including both periods ofcontinuous and intermittent process operation). For example, previousattempts to control the separation process using the inlet flowrateQ_(i) and the outlet flowrate Q_(o) (described above) nonethelessrequire frequent cleaning to prevent the accumulation of solids in theseparation vessel, with cleaning periods lasting about 15 min beingrequired about every 1 hr to 2 hr (i.e., about 12% to about 25% of thetotal operation time averaged over multiple-hour periods is dedicated tocleaning instead of continuous operation).

When included, vessel cleaning is incorporated into the overallseparation process by performing successive cycles of the controlprocess followed by a cleaning process. Similar to the control process,the cleaning process also is a closed loop process that monitors theinstantaneous height h(t) of the separation vessel 100 contents. In thecleaning process, a cleaning height h_(c) is selected that is largerthan h_(o). The cleaning height h_(c) represents an increased set-pointheight of the top 142 of the vessel 100 contents that will increase theflow through the cylindrical weir 300 and flush accumulating suspendedsolids from the vessel 100. The cleaning height is suitably selected sothat a height ratio (h_(c)−h_(w))/h_(w) is about 5% or more, for exampleabout 10% or more, about 5% to about 25%, or about 10% to about 10%.During the cleaning process, a second error function h(t)-h_(c) iscomputed as individual data points h(t) are measured. The second errorfunction h(t)-h_(c) is used to adjust the outlet flowrate Q_(o) (e.g.,using the above PID controller to adjust the proportional outlet valve)so that the second error function is minimized. The foregoing steps arerepeated for a selected cleaning time before resuming the controlprocess. For example, the cleaning time preferably ranges from about 0.5min to about 6 min, about 1 min to about 5 min, or about 2 min to about4 min performed once about every 2 hr to 3 hr (e.g., alternativelyexpressed as about 10% or less, about 0.1% to about 10%, about 0.3% toabout 5%, about 0.6% to about 4%, or about 1% to about 3% of the totaloperation time averaged over multiple-hour periods that is dedicated tocleaning instead of continuous operation). Such a substantial reductionin cleaning time increases the net average solids concentration of theconcentrated solids effluent 310.

Separation System

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustrating a separation system 10 suitable forperforming the disclosed separation process, for example using theseparation vessel 100. A flowmeter 207 (measuring Q_(i)) and a valve 208(e.g., a proportional valve) are in fluid communication with the aeratedinlet mixture 205 fed to the separation vessel 100 via the fluid inlet.Similarly, a flowmeter 412 (measuring Q_(o)) and a valve 414 (e.g., aproportional valve) are in fluid communication with the clarified fluideffluent 410 exiting the separation vessel 100 via the fluid outlet. Theflowmeters 207 and 412 can be upstream (as illustrated) or downstream oftheir respective valves 208 and 414. The valve 414 more generallyrepresents any suitable means for adjusting the flowrate Q_(o) of fluidout of the separation vessel through the fluid outlet (i.e., theclarified fluid effluent 410), for example including any know fluidmechanical means of applying/releasing back pressure on the flow line,altering the cross-sectional area available for flow, etc.

The system 10 further includes an electronic controller 500. Theelectronic controller 500 can suitably be a P, PI, PD, or PID(preferable; for example Allen Bradley controllers available fromRockwell Automation, Milwaukee, Wis.). The electronic controller 500 hasan input 510 in electrical communication with (or electrically connectedto) a means for measuring an instantaneous height h(t) of the separationvessel contents (e.g., the lower clarified layer 130 and the upper floatlayer 140 as illustrated in FIG. 1). As illustrated, the measuring meansfor the instantaneous height h(t) can be the pressure transducer 120,although other measuring mechanisms described above are also suitable.The measuring means is mounted on the separation vessel 100 at aposition between the base portion of the vessel 100 (inclusive of beingmounted on the base portion; preferred) and the height h_(w) of theoverflow conduit of the vessel 100. The input 510 allows the controller500 to periodically measure the instantaneous height h(t) (e.g., at anyprescribed interval) and to compare the instantaneous height h(t) withthe user-defined operating height h_(o) (i.e., the set-point) to computefirst error function h(t)-h₀. The electronic controller 500 further hasan output 520 in electrical communication with (or electricallyconnected to) the means for adjusting the flowrate Q_(o) (e.g., thevalve 414 as illustrated). During operation, the output 520 from thecontroller 500 based on the first error function h(t)-h₀ adjusts theflowrate Q_(o), for example by attenuating the (proportional) valve 414according the controller 500 logic.

The electronic controller 500 can be integrated into a computer system600 for controlling/monitoring other aspects of the system 10 and itsassociated process. The computer system 600 can include any generalizedor specific collection of computer components (e.g., processor, memory,display, storage medium (for data and/or program storage), I/O ports).The computer system 600 can perform a variety of process control and/ormonitoring functions, for example data logging/viewing (e.g., flowrateQ_(i), flowrate Q_(o), real-time images from the camera 124), manualprocess control (e.g., manually setting the valve 208 and 414 positionsto control process flowrates), process parameter input (e.g., set-pointvalues for h_(o) and h_(c), scanning rates for h(t), frequency ofcontroller 500 output, controller 500 tuning constants, cleaningschedule). The computer system 600 can include other electroniccontrollers (not shown), for example a second controller that uses theflowrate Q_(i) as an input to compute an additional error function thatcan be used to adjust the flowrate Q_(o) in an attempt to maintainsteady operation of the separation vessel.

Example Application—Manure Management Process

The disclosed process, its associated separation vessel 100, and itsassociated separation system 10 can be incorporated into any of avariety of solid-liquid separation processes. FIG. 6 is a process flowdiagram illustrating a manure management process 60 (e.g., in a sandbedded dairy) incorporating the disclosed separation process and system10. Manure generated in large quantities (e.g., as a result of farmingor dairy operations) can be used as source for generating biogas;however, such a process generates a solid-liquid waste stream as aby-product that must be further processed. In the following generaldescription, each of the individual unit operations 10, 20, 30, 40, and50 can generally include one or more than one unit in series and/orparallel to accommodate the net capacity of the process 60.

For example, a source of manure 20 is mixed with a liquid medium (e.g.,water, such as a recycled portion 418 of the clear run effluent 410 (ora parlor flush)) to form a manure slurry 22. The manure 20 generallycontains a substantial amount of sand and other coarse solids, so themanure slurry 22 is fed to a de-sander 30 (e.g., a sand separator orhydrocyclone). The de-sander generates a coarse solid waste stream 34and a solid-liquid slurry 32 containing relatively finer solids (e.g.,settleable solids, suspended solids, dissolved solids). The solid-liquidslurry 32 is fed to a digester 40 (e.g., anaerobic) in which bacteriadigest the finer manure solids to generate a biogas 44 product streamand a solid-liquid digester effluent 42. A portion of the biogas 44 canbe recycled for use in the process 60 as an aerating gas for the aeratedinlet mixture 205. The solid-liquid digester effluent 42 is treated in atwo-step process to remove solids, being fed first to a primarysolid-liquid separator 50 (e.g., a screw press) to remove larger solids(e.g., settleable solids and larger) as a waste stream 52 which can beused, for example, for land application. The finer, suspended anddissolved solids exiting from the separator 50 are fed as the aeratedinlet mixture 205 to the separation vessel 100/system 10 (e.g., afterthe addition of an aerating gas, flocculating agents, coagulatingagents, etc.). As shown, a portion of the concentrated solids effluent310 is recycled to digester 40 as a source of microorganisms andsupplemental feed, although some or all of the effluent 310 can befurther dried (e.g., horizontal decanter, etc.) and land-applied atagronomic rates beneficial to soil and crops. A portion 416 of theclarified fluid effluent (or tea water) 410 is preferably used toconserve potable water (e.g., as irrigation water, for parlor flushes,etc.). Another portion (not shown) can be recycled and combined with aportion of the biogas 44 to form an aerated liquid stream combined withthe finer/dissolved solids exiting from the separator 50.

Because other modifications and changes varied to fit particularoperating requirements and environments will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, the disclosure is not considered limited to theexample chosen for purposes of illustration, and covers all changes andmodifications which do not constitute departures from the true spiritand scope of this disclosure.

Accordingly, the foregoing description is given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, as modifications within the scope of the disclosure may beapparent to those having ordinary skill in the art.

Throughout the specification, where the compositions, processes, orapparatus are described as including components, steps, or materials, itis contemplated that the compositions, processes, or apparatus can alsocomprise, consist essentially of, or consist of, any combination of therecited components or materials, unless described otherwise.Combinations of components are contemplated to include homogeneousand/or heterogeneous mixtures, as would be understood by a person ofordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A separation process comprising: (a) providing aseparation vessel comprising (i) a fluid inlet, (ii) a solids outletcomprising an overflow conduit having a height h_(w) measured from abase portion of the separation vessel, and (iii) a fluid outlet at afirst position between the base portion and h_(w); (b) feeding anaerated inlet mixture to the separation vessel via the fluid inlet at aflowrate Q_(i), the aerated inlet mixture comprising (i) a fluid, (ii) asolid contaminant, and (iii) an aerating gas; (c) separating the inletmixture in the separation vessel into (i) an upper float layercomprising aerated solids and being located at a second position, and(ii) a lower clarified layer comprising a clarified fluid and beinglocated at a third position, the second position being relativelyfurther away from the base portion of the separation vessel than thethird position; (d) withdrawing the upper float layer from theseparation vessel via the overflow conduit; (e) withdrawing the lowerclarified layer from the separation vessel via the fluid outlet at aselected flowrate Q_(o); and (f) performing (a)-(e) as a continuousseparation process with a control process comprising: (i) selecting anoperating height h_(o) that is larger than h_(w); (ii) measuring aninstantaneous height h(t) of the separation vessel contents; (iii)adjusting the flowrate Q_(o) based on a first error function h(t)-h₀ tominimize the first error function; and (iv) repeating (i)-(iii) of thecontrol process.
 2. The process of claim 1, wherein: (i) the separationvessel comprises a cylindrical outer wall generally defining a centralaxis; (ii) the fluid inlet comprises one or more tangential inletsdistributed around the cylindrical outer wall, thereby generating aswirling flow when feeding the aerated inlet mixture to the separationvessel; and (iii) the overflow conduit comprises a cylindrical weirgenerally aligned with the central axis.
 3. The process of claim 1,wherein the separation vessel is closed to the external environment. 4.The process of claim 1, wherein the aerating gas comprises one or moreof air, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, and biogas.
 5. Theprocess of claim 4, wherein the aerating gas is substantially free ofoxygen.
 6. The process of claim 1, wherein the aerated inlet mixturecomprises one or more flocculating agents, coagulating agents, orcombinations thereof.
 7. The process of claim 1, wherein the aeratinggas is ionized and is electrostatically coupled to the solidcontaminant.
 8. The process of claim 1, wherein the aerated inletmixture comprises about 1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % total solids.
 9. Theprocess of claim 1, wherein the lower clarified layer withdrawn via thefluid outlet comprises about 1 wt. % or less total solids.
 10. Theprocess of claim 1, wherein the upper float layer withdrawn via theoverflow conduit comprises at least about 5 wt. % total solids.
 11. Theprocess of claim 1, wherein the operating height is selected so that aheight ratio (h₀−h_(w))/h_(w) is about 0.05 or less.
 12. The process ofclaim 1, wherein (f)(ii) of the control process comprises measuring theinstantaneous height h(t) with a pressure transducer mounted within theseparation vessel.
 13. The process of claim 1, wherein (f)(iii) of thecontrol process comprises adjusting the flowrate Q_(o) with aproportional valve in fluid communication with the fluid outlet.
 14. Theprocess of claim 1, wherein the continuous separation process comprisesperforming successive cycles of the control process followed by acleaning process, the cleaning process comprising: (i) selecting ancleaning height h_(c) that is larger than h_(o); (ii) measuring aninstantaneous height h(t) of the separation vessel contents; (iii)adjusting the flowrate Q_(o) based on a second error function h(t)-h_(c)to minimize the second error function; and (iv) repeating (i)-(iii) ofthe cleaning process for a selected cleaning time before resuming thecontrol process.
 15. The process of claim 14, wherein the cleaningheight is selected so that a height ratio (h_(c)−h_(w))/h_(w) is about0.05 or more.
 16. The process of claim 1, comprising performing thecontinuous separation process without a cleaning cycle.
 17. A separationprocess comprising: (a) providing a separation vessel comprising (i) acylindrical outer wall generally defining a central axis, (ii) a fluidinlet comprising one or more tangential inlets distributed around thecylindrical outer wall and capable of generating a swirling flow whenfeeding an inlet mixture to the separation vessel, (iii) a solids outletcomprising a cylindrical weir generally aligned with the central axisand having a height h_(w) measured from a base portion of the separationvessel, and (iv) a fluid outlet at a first position between the baseportion and h_(w); (b) feeding an aerated inlet mixture to theseparation vessel via the fluid inlet at a flowrate Q_(i), the aeratedinlet mixture comprising (i) a fluid, (ii) a solid contaminant, and(iii) an aerating biogas; (c) separating the inlet mixture in theseparation vessel into (i) an upper float layer comprising aeratedsolids and being located at a second position, and (ii) a lowerclarified layer comprising a clarified fluid and being located at athird position, the second position being relatively further away fromthe base portion of the separation vessel than the third position; (d)withdrawing the upper float layer from the separation vessel via thecylindrical weir; (e) withdrawing the lower clarified layer from theseparation vessel via the fluid outlet at a selected flowrate Q_(o); and(f) performing (a)-(e) as a continuous separation process with a controlprocess comprising: (i) selecting an operating height ho that is largerthan h_(w); (ii) measuring an instantaneous height h(t) of theseparation vessel contents with a pressure transducer mounted within theseparation vessel; (iii) adjusting the flowrate Q_(o) with aproportional valve in fluid communication with the fluid outlet based ona first error function h(t)-h₀ to minimize the first error function; and(iv) repeating (i)-(iii) of the control process.